Common Mistakes in the Jumpstart 2012 By Working On Ourselves Challenge

You’re 2 weeks into the JumpStart 2012 By Working on Ourselves, Challenge and haven’t seen enough results yet. You’ve been eating your servings, drinking your water, and straining through dreadful pushups and sit ups, but the scale still reads the same! Here are a few mistakes you are making and a few solutions to help you start seeing results faster!

You Traded One Vice For Another

For the challenge, you decided to give up ice cream. Now instead of ice cream you are eating more cookies. Take a look at your food journal and see what you have substituted your ice cream cravings for. I’m assuming you have some type of food journal as it is paramount to the success of this challenge. If you have traded one vice for another, take a look at our article, “Are you a Cheater”, for ways to cope with giving up vices. I noticed this same problem when I tried to buy Golden Oreos. I had found another vice.

You’re Still Eating Too Much

Again, check your food journal. If you are eating more calories because you added more fruits and vegetables, you need to make adjustments. Too many extra calories are detrimental, even if they are coming from fruits and veggies. If you are full after eating a fruit, veggie and protein source at breakfast, stop there. You may want to start cooking one less egg or eating one less piece of toast now that you are eating more fruits and veggies.

Your 30 Minutes of Exercise Isn’t Intense Enough

If you started walking two weeks ago, you should have made adjustments by now. Pick up the speed in your walk or add in intervals of jogging in order to raise the intensity. If you are biking, or riding the elliptical, you should speed those up as well. You can also try downloading our free EBook for a workout program and body weight exercises that’ll add a little variety to your workout. As we stated in our article, “Can’t Lose the last 10 Pounds? Here’s Why”, you have to change your workouts so that your body is always guessing. Don’t be afraid to push past your pain threshold. Only then will you start seeing more results.

You’re Miscalculating Servings

Do you know what constitutes a serving of fruits or veggies? It may not be as much as you think. Our article, “What’s a Serving”, will help you with this. If you are eating more than you should, you may be adding extra calories to your diet.

You’re Still Modifying Pushups and Sit Ups

It’s time to get on your toes and do a few pushups. Try 1 “real” pushup for every 3 “modified” pushups ratio. Soon you will be doing full pushups. Try the same with modified sit ups. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know that you can do it.

You Need to Divorce the Scale

Last but definitely not least, you need to divorce the scale for a while. Instead, measure your waist, legs, and arms. You should also measure your success by how far or fast you are running, how many more pushups you can do, and how long are you holding your planks! The scale is not the only success measuring tool.